Vietnam NetCitizens Report Reveals Rapid Growth of Internet Usage and Key Online Activities

Vietnam NetCitizens Report
Internet Usage and Development in Vietnam

March 2010


Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1. BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2. SURVEY METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................. 4
1.2.1. Sample size...................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2.2. Respondent selection ...................................................................................................................... 5
1.3. OTHER DATA SOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 5
2. INTERNET PENETRATION AND USAGE..................................................................................................... 6
2.1. PENETRATION .......................................................................................................................................... 6
2.2. USAGE FREQUENCY AND LENGTH ................................................................................................................. 8
2.3. INTERNET ACCESS ................................................................................................................................... 10
3. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF INTERNET USERS....................................................................................... 12
3.1. AGE AND GENDER ................................................................................................................................... 12
3.2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS (SEC) ................................................................................................................. 13
3.3. EDUCATION AND OCCUPATION.................................................................................................................. 14
4. ONLINE ACTIVITIES AND APPLICATIONS ............................................................................................... 16
4.1. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 16
4.2. INFORMATION GATHERING ....................................................................................................................... 19
4.3. ENTERTAINMENT .................................................................................................................................... 20
4.4. COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................................................. 22
4.5. BLOGGING AND SOCIAL NETWORKS ............................................................................................................ 23
4.6. ONLINE BUSINESS ................................................................................................................................... 25
5. VISITED WEBSITES ................................................................................................................................ 26
5.1. WEBSITES VISITED IN PAST 4 WEEKS ........................................................................................................... 26
5.2. WEBSITES USED FOR BLOGGING AND SOCIAL NETWORKING ............................................................................. 29
5.3. MOST FAVOURITE WEBSITES ..................................................................................................................... 30
5.3.1. Information gathering .................................................................................................................. 30
5.3.2. Online entertainment.................................................................................................................... 31
5.3.3. Online communication .................................................................................................................. 31
5.3.4. Online business ............................................................................................................................. 32
6. INTERNET ATTITUDES ........................................................................................................................... 33
6.1. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................ 33
6.2. SOCIAL CONNECTION ............................................................................................................................... 34
6.3. INFORMATION GATHERING ....................................................................................................................... 34
6.4. TRUST / RELIABILITY ................................................................................................................................ 35
6.5. ONLINE BUYING...................................................................................................................................... 35
6.6. ONLINE ADVERTISING .............................................................................................................................. 36

Copyright © 2010 Cimigo 1


SUMMARY
Internet usage and access
• According to official sources, internet penetration in Vietnam was at 26% in 2009.
Internet penetration in Vietnam is similar to countries like China, Philippines and
Thailand. However, Vietnam has seen a more rapid growth of the internet over the
last few years than most other countries in the region.
• In urban Vietnam, about 50% of the population have used the internet already.
Usage is higher in Hanoi and HCMC.
• Two-thirds of internet users access the internet every day, with users spending about
2 hours and 20 minutes on the internet on weekdays, and slightly less on weekends.
• The internet is usually accessed from home (75%) or work (28%). Internet cafes
(21%) are widely used by the younger age groups.
• Compared to the overall population, internet users are significantly younger, more
likely to be male, and come from a higher socio-economic class.
• A third of internet users are still studying and 40% are white-collar workers.

Online Activities
• The most important activity on the internet is information gathering. More than 90%
have used search sites and regularly read online news.
• Entertainment (e.g. listening to music, watching movies, gaming) is another key field
of activity. 76% of internet users have listened to music and 40% have watched
movies online. Entertainment is far more important among younger people.
• About 70% of internet users have already used chatting and email sites. 40-45%
have used forums, blogs and social networks sites.
• Online shopping and auction sites are not used very frequently, but online shopping
has seen a strong increase over the past years.



Visited websites
• Google, Zing and Yahoo are the most popular websites in Vietnam. 26% of internet
users have used Zing and 23% Yahoo in the past 4 weeks.
• Online newspapers such as DanTri, VnExpress and Tuoitre are used by 15-20% of
internet users. The usage of online newspapers strongly differs by geographical
region.
• Google is the favourite website for search and research activities. Zing is the
preferred provider of most forms of online entertainment (music, movies, gaming).
Yahoo is favoured for communication activities such as e-mail, instant message and
chatting.

Internet Attitudes
• Most users think that the internet is an important source for news and information.
70% also find it useful to find out about new trends and brands.
• The majority find the internet useful to connect with friends and meet new people.
Very few people feel more lonely because of the internet.
• 40% generally trust the information found on the internet, but 20% do not. The
internet is perceived to be less reliable than TV or newspapers.
• 50% would agree that there is a wide choice of products on the internet. However,
only 15% think it’s safe to buy products online.

About Vietnam NetCitizens Report

Data in this report is based on a representative survey among nearly 3000 internet users in 6
cities in Vietnam. The study is conducted by Cimigo, and the report is available for free. If you
are interested a more detailed target group analysis, please contact us to get a quotation.
Download this report for free: www.cimigo.vn
Request your individual analysis: netcitizens@cimigo.com



1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background
The internet in Vietnam has seen a rapid development over the last few years. Since 2003,
there has been a steady increase in both internet users and number of websites in Vietnam,
and technical resources to provide internet connections are constantly expanding. In a
period of strong growth, it is vital for all companies involved with the online market to have
reliable information about all relevant aspects of internet usage.
This study was initiated by Cimigo with the aim to create a better understanding of the
Vietnamese internet market.

1.2. Survey methodology
Most of the report is based on results of NetCitizens, a research study conducted by Cimigo
among Vietnamese internet users in urban Vietnam. This survey was conducted by Cimigo
in October and November 2009, using Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI).

1.2.1. Sample size
Total 2940 internet users were interviewed. Respondents for the survey were selected from
the 6 major cities in Vietnam using the following sample sizes:
Ho Chi Minh City n=528
Hanoi n=533
Da Nang n=506
Can Tho n=419
Nha Trang n=459
Hai Phong n=495

Additionally, about n=3000 demographic profiles of non-internet users were collected (about
n=500 in each city) to compare the demographic data of internet users with the total
population.
Cimigo has already conducted a similar study in previous years in Hanoi and HCMC
(n=1000 interviews per year). Where possible, the report includes results from previous
years. For other cities (Da Nang, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Hai Phong), no data from previous
years is available.



1.2.2. Respondent selection
For the selection of respondents, a random-quota approach was applied. The approach to
select respondents was slightly different for HCMC and Hanoi (where data from previous
years was available) and other cities:
• In HCMC and Hanoi, data regarding internet penetration and the demographic profile
of internet users was already available from Cimigo Express (a representative survey
among n=12,000 residents in HCMC/Hanoi per year). Quotas for respondents to
NetCitizens were set based on age and gender derived from Cimigo Express.
• For all other cities (Da Nang, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Hai Phong), no information about
internet penetration and the profile of internet users were available. In each city, a
representative sample of approx n= 1000 respondents was recruited using
age/gender quotas from the general population. Overall n=4250 people were
contacted, and a full interview was conducted among n=1879 internet users. For
non-users, only demographic data was collected.
• The total results are weighted according to the general population by city size (to re-
establish the original population proportion across cities) and socio-economic class
(due to general under-representation of lower socio-economic classes in telephone
surveys).

1.3. Other data sources
• Data for internet usage and penetration in other countries was collected from
www.internetworldstats.com
• Data about the development of the internet penetration in Vietnam was taken from
www.vnnic.vn (the website of VNNIC, the Vietnam Internet Network Information
Center).



2. INTERNET PENETRATION AND
USAGE

2.1. Penetration
By the end of 2009, around 1.7 billion people use the internet worldwide, representing about
26% of the global population. The number of internet users has multiplied by five over the
last 10 years. The highest internet penetration is found in North America (74%), Australia /
Oceania (60%) and Europe (52%). In Asia, penetration is at 19% and thus second lowest
next to Africa (source: internetworldstats.com).
In absolute numbers, however, more internet users can be found in Asia than in any other
part of the world. Overall 43% of worldwide internet users are located in Asia. This is mainly
due to the large population in China.
Within key Asian countries, two different patterns of internet penetration are found. In
developed Asian countries (South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and
Malaysia), internet usage is at 60-80%, with a slight year-to-year increase. In Asian
emerging markets (such as China, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia), internet penetration
is around 20-30%, however internet growth rates per year are much higher.

Fig. 1. Internet penetration in selected Asian countries

South Korea 77%
Japan 76%
Singapore 72%
Hong Kong 69%
Taiwan 66%
Malaysia 66%
China 27%
Vietnam 26%
Philippines 25%
Thailand 24%
Indonesia 13%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Source: www.internetworldstats.com

More than 50% of internet users in Asia are Chinese. The number of internet users in China
is estimated at 360 million, which represents 20% of the worldwide internet population. Other
Asian countries with a large number of internet users are Japan (96 million) and South Korea
(37 million). In Vietnam there are currently 23 million internet users, slightly less than in the
Philippines and Indonesia.



Fig. 2. Number of internet users in selected Asian countries (in millions)
56
23
24 China
Japan
30
South Korea
37 Indonesia
Philippines
360
Vietnam
Other
96


Internet user growth rates differ strongly by country. In countries with high penetration rates,
growth rates are lower than in countries with low penetration. Over the last 10 years, internet
usage has grown by 100-200% in developed Asian countries (South Korea, Japan, Hong
Kong, Taiwan and Singapore), and by around 500 - 1500% in Asian emerging markets.
Vietnam takes a unique position in this respect. Vietnam is the fastest growing internet
country in the region and among the countries with highest growth rates in the world. Since
2000, the number of internet users in Vietnam has multiplied by about 100. Ten years ago,
internet penetration in Vietnam lied far behind most other Asian countries. In the meantime,
Vietnam has caught up and internet usage has reached the level of other key emerging
markets.

Fig. 3. Internet user growth 2000-2009 in selected Asian countries

Vietnam 10882%
China 1500%
Indonesia 1150%
Philippines 1100%
Thailand 600%
Malaysia 357%
Singapore 181%
Taiwan 142%
Hong Kong 114%
Japan 104%
South Korea 97%

0% 2000% 4000% 6000% 8000% 10000% 12000%




According to VNNIC (Vietnam Internet Network Information Center), 22.5 million people in
Vietnam were using the internet by the end of 2009, representing 26% of the overall
population. Between 2003 and 2009, the number of internet users increased by 3.1 million
on average. Internet growth rates were very high between 2003 and 2006 and then slowed
down. 2009 was the first year with a growth rate below 10%; however the population of
internet users still increased by nearly 2 million in 2009.

Fig. 4. Internet users in Vietnam 2004-2009

30 30%
26%
24%
25 25%
21%

Users in % of population
22.5
20 18% 20%
Users (million)

20.8
17.7
15 13% 15%
14.7

10 8% 10%
10.7

4%
5 5%
6.3
3.1

0 0%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Users (million) Penetration

Source: www.vnnic.vn

2.2. Usage frequency and length
Among the cities covered in NetCitizens study, the highest penetration is measured in Hanoi,
where more than 60% of the population have accessed the internet already. In HCMC,
internet has been accessed by about 50%. In other cities (Da Nang, Hai Phong, Nha Trang,
Can Tho), the internet penetration is at about 40% each. Overall in urban Vietnam, about
50% have already accessed the internet. 1

1
In the NetCitizens study, in internet user is defined as a person living in urban Vietnam age 15+ who
has accessed the internet at any time in the past. Due to differences in definition, internet penetration
figures may not fully be comparable with other data sources (e.g. VNNIC figures).



Fig. 5. Internet usage by city

Ha Noi 61%

HCMC 48%

Da Nang 41%

Hai Phong 40%

Nha Trang 40%

Can Tho 39%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Source: Cimigo NetCitizens (Da Nang, Hai Phong, Nha Trang, Can Tho) and CimigoExpress (Ha Noi, HCMC)

In Vietnam, internet users surf the internet very frequently. Nearly 90% of internet users
access the internet more than once a week, and about 70% use it daily. Only a small
minority of internet users (5%) use the internet less than once a week. The frequency of
internet usage is higher in metro Vietnam (Hanoi and HCMC) compared to other cities, and
internet usage increases with higher socio-economic class.

Fig. 6. Frequency of internet usage by city

Total 67% 24% 4%5%

HCMC 69% 23% 4%
3%
Ha Noi 70% 23% 2%6%
Hai Phong 60% 26% 3% 11%
Da Nang 62% 26% 3% 9%
Nha Trang 65% 24% 5% 6%
Can Tho 54% 28% 8% 10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Everyday Few times a week Once a week Less often

Source: Cimigo NetCitizens (base: internet users)

Internet users in Vietnam spend considerable time online. During weekdays, the average
user is online for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Males use the internet about 20 minutes longer
than females. The length of internet usage decreases with age and increases with higher
socio-economic status. Nearly half of users surf the internet more than two hours a day.



On weekends, internet usage is reduced by about 10 minutes. About 10% do not use the
internet on weekends at all. Among young people (15-24 years), usage of the internet does
not decrease on weekends.

Fig. 7. Length of internet usage

Weekdays: Weekends:
139 minutes 130 minutes

11% < 1 hour
15% 22%
25%
15% 1-2 hours
2-5 hours
31% 21%
28% > 5 hours
30%
don’t use

Source: Cimigo NetCitizens

2.3. Internet access
Most people access the internet from home (75%). Other popular places to use the internet
are at work (28%), and in an internet shop or cyber café (21%). On weekends, access from
work and internet shop / cyber café declines.
In metro Vietnam (Hanoi and HCMC), access from home is more frequent than in other
cities, and internet shops / cyber cafes are less common. Internet cafes are most frequently
visited by young age groups and lower socio-economic classes.

Fig. 8. Places of internet access

At home 75%
73%

At work 28%
5%

At internet shopCyber cafe 21%
16% Weekday

5% Weekend
At college or school
0%

Other 4%
3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Over the last 2 years, home access has gained in importance and is slowly replacing internet
shops / cyber cafes. Internet access from home has increased by 15%, while on the same



time the access from internet shops / cyber cafes has dropped by more than 10%. Access
from work increased slightly and has become the second most frequent place of internet
access (data based on internet usage on weekdays in Hanoi and HCMC)

Fig. 9. Places of internet access 2007-2009 (weekdays)
100%

77% At home
80% 73%
61%
60% At work

40% 29% 30% At internet
26% 27%
23% shopCyber
18%
20% cafe
5% 5% 5% At college or
school
0%
2007 2008 2009

Source: Cimigo NetCitizens (Hanoi / HCMC only)





3. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF
INTERNET USERS

3.1. Age and gender
Internet users are significantly younger than the overall population in Vietnam. In the six
cities included in the study, the average age of internet users is 29 vs. 36 in the total
population. 50% of the internet users are below 27 years vs. 34 years in the total population.
Only about a quarter of internet users are 35 years or older. 2

Fig. 10. Age of internet users vs. total population

Total
population
21% 31% 33% 16% average: 36

Internet users 38% 36% 19% 7% average: 29

0% 50% 100%

15-24 25-34 35-49 50-64

Source: Cimigo NetCitizens and Cimigo Express

Internet users in Hanoi and HCMC are older compared to other cities. In Hai Phong, Da
Nang, Nha Trang and Can Tho, the average age is 26-27, while an average internet user in
Hanoi / HCMC is 32 / 30 years.
These results do not consider the frequency of internet access. Since younger people spend
more time on the internet, the population that is online at one given point of time will be
younger on average.

2
All figures refer to the population as defined in the NetCitizens study (urban Vietnamese population
aged 15-64). People below 15 years are not included.



Fig. 11. Age of internet users by city
Average
HCMC 38% 36% 18% 8% 30

Ha Noi 29% 37% 25% 9% 32

Hai Phong 49% 38% 10% 2% 26

Da Nang 50% 35% 13% 3% 26

Nha Trang 47% 33% 15% 5% 27

Can Tho 49% 30% 17% 4% 27

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
15-24 25-34 35-49 50-64


The internet is slightly more popular with males. 54% of internet users are male and 46%
female, while in the general population the split is 49:51.

Fig. 12. Gender of internet users vs. total population

Total
49% 51%
population

Internet users 54% 46%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
male female


3.2. Socio-economic class (SEC)
The socio-economic class of internet users is higher compared to the general population.
More than half of internet users are from socio-economic class A and B, while in the general
urban population the share of SEC A and B is at about 35%. Conversely, there are
considerably more people from SEC D and E in the total population (35%) compared to the
population of internet users (17%).



Fig. 13. Socio-economic class of internet users vs. total population

Total
10% 26% 27% 23% 13%
population

Internet users 16% 36% 31% 13% 4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

A B C D E


3.3. Education and Occupation
About half of internet users have studied at university / college or are currently studying. 8%
are post graduates, and 10% have an education at a vocational or technical college. About a
third have reached grade 10-12 or less. Internet users in Metro Vietnam (Hanoi and HCMC)
have slightly higher levels of education compared to other cities.

Fig. 14. Education of internet users
5%
8%
Post graduate
University / College
30%
Vocational or technical college
46% Grade 10-12
11% Grade 1-9


A third of internet users are students. The share of students is higher in cities such as Can
Tho and Nha Trang compared to metro Vietnam, because the population of internet users in
these cities is younger. Among the age group of the 15-24 years old, 80% are students.
Most common occupation of internet users are officers / executives, professionals and
factory / retail workers. Overall about 40% of internet users can be classified as white-collar
workers vs. 13% blue collar.



Fig. 15. Occupation of internet users

Student 33%

Officers / Executives - Junior 15%

Professional (Doctor / Lawyer / Engineer / Teacher) 10%

Factory / retail / construction / domestic worker 9%

Officers / Executives - middle/senior 6%

Retired / Seeking employment 5%

Housewife 5%

Business owner (less than 10 employees) 4%

Clerical / Sales 3%

Business owner (self-employed) 3%

Small trader 2%

Business owner (more than 10 employees) 1%

Self-employed professional (Doctor / Lawyer / Engineer /
1%
Teacher)

Shop owner 1%

Skilled trade / machine operator 1%

Farmer / Fisherman 0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%






4. ONLINE ACTIVITIES AND
APPLICATIONS

4.1. Overview
What are Vietnamese people are doing when they are online, and how frequently do they
use different online applications? This chapter covers usage data of 22 different online
activities, classified into five categories:
• Information gathering
• Online entertainment
• Online communication
• Blogging and social networks
• Online business

Overall, the most frequent activity on the internet is information gathering, such as reading
the news or using search sites. More than 90% have used such sites, and about half do it
daily. The internet is also used to conduct research for school or office by more than half of
internet users once a week or more often.
Another key field of online activity is entertainment. Music is the most popular area in this
respect, with three-quarters of internet users having listened to music and nearly 60% having
downloaded music already. More than 40% watch movies online, and one in five have
already downloaded movies. Online gaming is slightly less frequent, with a usage of 35% for
web games (games that can be played online without downloading an application) and 25%
for online applications (games that have to be downloaded and installed first).
Communication is also a further key activity on the internet. Key activities in this area are
chatting and e-mails (usage at about 70%). 20-25% have sent SMS online and used instant
messaging.
With new interactive websites and online applications, users have the opportunity not only to
retrieve information, but also to contribute their own content. In Vietnam, social networking
and blogging are used frequently. 40-45% of users have already visited forums, blogs and
social networks. Users take a more passive role on these sites, as only 15-20% have
personally written their own blogs or posted in forums.
Online commerce is not very developed in Vietnam yet. The most popular commerce sites
are online auctions and shopping websites, which 40% of users have visited already. Online
banking is still in its infancy. The usage of online shopping and e-banking services has seen
a strong growth over the last few years.



Fig. 16. Online activities done in the past

Use for news 93%
Use a search site (e.g google) 91%
Listening to music 76%
Research for schooloffice work 73%
Chatting 69%
Email 68%
Downloading music 59%
Visiting forum 46%
Watching movies 43%
Visiting blogs 40%
Visiting a social network 39%
ShoppingAuctions 38%
Playing games on web game 35%
Playing games on online applications 25%
Sending SMS 24%
Searching for a job 22%
Instant messaging 22%
Downloading or uploading pictures 21% Online information gathering
Online entertainment
Downloading movies 19%
Online communication
Writing blogs 19% Blogging and social Networks
Posting in forum 16% Online business

E-Banking 10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


The usage of online activities and applications differs between age groups. In general, young
internet users use more websites, and nearly all online activities measured in this report are
more frequent with the age group 15-24 vs. 25-65. The largest difference is measured for
online gaming, sending sms and posting in forums / blogs. These activities are nearly twice
as frequently used by the young age groups.
However, some activities that do not follow this pattern: reading news, using search sites, e-
mail, searching for jobs, and online shopping are done by all age groups to the same extent.



Fig. 17. Online activities done in the past by age group

Use for news 94% 92%
Use a search site e.g Google 88% 97%
Listening to music 66% 91%
Research for schooloffice work 66% 84%

Chatting 55% 90%
Email 67% 69%
Downloading music 46% 79%
Visiting forum 38% 59%
Watching movies 37% 53%
Visiting blogs 29% 55%
Visiting a social network 32% 49%
ShoppingAuctions 38% 38%
Playing games on web game 24% 52%
Playing games on online applications 16% 38%
Sending SMS 17% 33%
Searching for a job 21% 24%
Instant messaging 17% 29%
Downloading or uploading pictures 15% 30%
Downloading movies 16% 24%
Writing blogs 11% 31%
Posting in forum10% 26%
E-Banking 4% 14%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

25-64 years 15-24 years




4.2. Information gathering
The category “Information gathering” includes the following four activities: 1) use for news, 2)
using search sites, 3) research for school or office, and 4) searching for a job.
Reading news is the most popular activity on the internet. More than 90% are reading news
on the internet, and 50% do it daily. Search sites such as Google are also visited daily by
half of internet users. Research for school / office is slightly less frequent, but is still done by
more than 50% once a week or more. Online job searching is only done by few people on a
regular basis.
Reading news and using search sites are the most common online activities across all age
groups and geographical regions in Vietnam. Males are using news sites more frequently
than females, and usage is higher in Metro Vietnam (Hanoi and HCMC). The regularity of
reading news on the internet increases with age. On the other hand, search sites are visited
slightly more often by younger people.

Fig. 18. Information gathering: usage frequency
Total

Use for news 54% 29% 5%6% 93%

Use a search site e.g Google 49% 31% 5%6% 91%

Research for schooloffice work 29% 28% 8% 8% 73%

Searching for a job 2% 6% 8%
6% 22%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Everyday Once a week or more Once a month or more Less often


Over the last 3 years, the usage of online search sites has gained in importance. While less
than 75% used search sites in 2007, more than 90% did so in 2009. Also, reading the news
online and doing research for office / school increased since 2007.



Fig. 19. Information gathering: usage 2007-2009
100% 94%
89% 89%

80% 92% News
85%
74%
60% 73% Search
66% 69%

40% Research for
25% 25% 22% school / office
20%
Job searching

0%
2007 2008 2009


4.3. Entertainment
Online entertainment includes the following activities: 1) listening to music, 2) downloading
music, 3) watching movies, 4) downloading movies, 5) downloading or uploading pictures, 6)
playing games on web game, 3 and 7) playing online games on online applications. 4

Entertainment is a key field of internet usage in Vietnam. The main activity related to
entertainment is listening to music, which more than half of internet users do on a regular
basis. 60% have downloaded music already and 40% do it once a week or more often.
Nearly half of internet users have already watched movies online. Gaming is less popular for
the majority of internet users, however there is a core of about 10% of internet users who
game every day.
Entertainment is clearly an activity for younger people. Internet users from 15 -24 years use
all online entertainment activities significantly more often. The largest age difference can be
found for listening / downloading music and application / web gaming.
Some entertainment activities are slightly more popular with males than females. A gender
specific usage difference is mainly observed for activities that require more advanced
technical equipment, such as playing games on online applications and downloading
movies. No difference between genders is observed for other entertainment activities,

3
Web games are games that can be played on a website without downloading to the computer
4
Online application games have to be downloaded to the computer first and can then be played
independently from the website



Fig. 20. Entertainment: usage frequency
Total

Listening to music 30% 30% 8% 8% 76%

Downloading music 12% 25% 12% 10% 59%

Watching movies 5% 17% 9% 12% 43%

Playing games on web game 10% 13% 5%6% 35%

Playing games on online applications 9% 8%3%
5% 25%

Downloading or uploading pictures 2% 6%6%
7% 21%

Downloading movies 3% 6%
6% 4% 19%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%



Online entertainment has gained in importance over the last few years. The share of internet
users that download music has increased by 9%, and watching movies on the internet has
become more popular since 2007 (for other entertainment related activities, no trend data is
available).

Fig. 21. Entertainment: development 2007-2009
100%

80%
60% 59% Downloading
60% 50% music

40%
41% 43%
37% Watching
20% movies

0%
2007 2008 2009




4.4. Communication
The category “Communication” in this report includes the following 4 activities: 1) e-mail, 2)
chatting, 3) sending SMS, and 4) instant messaging.
Communication plays an important part in internet usage. Most frequent communication
forms are chatting and e-mail. While the usage of both chatting and e-mailing is about 70%,
people chat more frequently in an average week compared to e-mailing. Sending SMS
online or instant messaging is less popular (20-25%).
Young people use online communication more frequently. Chatting is one of the most
popular activities for young internet users. nearly half of the age group of 15-24 chat on a
daily basis. E-mail, on the other hand, is used more frequently by the 25-34 year olds.

Fig. 22. Communication: usage frequency
Total

Chatting 30% 24% 6% 8% 69%

Email 24% 23% 10% 11% 68%

24%
Sending SMS 5% 8% 5% 7%
22%
Instant messaging 6% 8% 3%4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%



The usage of communication functions on the internet decreased slightly from 2007 to 2009.
Both chatting and e-mails decreased by about 10%, and also instant messaging is used
significantly less often.



Fig. 23. Communication: development 2007-2009
100%
79% 76%
80% 69%
78%
74% Email
60% 70%
Chatting
34% 36%
40% Sending SMS
23%
Instant messaging
20%
25% 23% 23%
0%
2007 2008 2009


4.5. Blogging and social networks
The category “Blogging and social networks” includes the following five activities: 1) visiting
forums, 2) posting in forums, 3) visiting blogs, 4) writing blogs, and 5) visiting a social
network.
Blogs and social networks are used by a substantial number of people in Vietnam and
constitute an important part of the internet life. Nearly half of internet users have already
visited forums, blogs and social networks. Daily usage is highest for social networks (13%),
while forums and blogs are more often visited on a weekly basis. An average user takes a
rather passive role in blogging: while 40% have visited blogs, only 20% have actually written
a blog themselves. The same pattern is observed for forums: 50% have already visited a
forum, but only 16% have actively posted in a forum.
Blogging and social networks are clearly a field of activity for the young people. The majority
of internet users below 25 have already visited a forum, blog and social network, and usage
is about 50% higher compared to older age groups. The main difference between age
groups, however, lies in the active contribution of content to the internet: users below 25
years are posting three times as often in forums and writing blogs compared to users 25-65
years.
An interesting difference can be observed between gender. Females are more often visiting
and writing blogs, while visiting and posting in forums is more popular with males. With
social networks, no clear gender difference can be observed.
There is also a geographical difference: in the North (Hanoi and Hai Phong), blogging and
social networking are more popular than in other areas. The largest difference is seen for
activities that involve any form of self-expression. Internet users in Hanoi are 40% more
likely to having written a blog, and twice as many have posted in a forum compared to
internet users in HCMC.



Fig. 24. Blogging and social networks: usage frequency Total

Visiting forum 12% 19% 8% 8% 46%

Visiting blogs 6% 14% 8% 11% 40%

Visiting a social network 13% 12% 6% 8% 39%

Writing blogs 2% 4% 7%
6% 19%

Posting in forum 2% 4%4%
6% 16%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%



Usage of blogging and social networks has slightly declined since 2007. The biggest
decrease can be found for writing blogs with at drop from 27 to 20%. The main reason for
this might be the closing of Yahoo 360 in 2009, which had been by far the most popular
blogging application in previous years.
It has to be considered that these figures are percentages and not absolute numbers. With
growing internet penetration in the Vietnamese population, the absolute number of people
using blogs and social networks might still have increased.

Fig. 25. Blogging and social networks: development 2007-2009
100%

80%

60% Visiting forum
49% 47%
Visiting blogs
40% 47% 46% Writing blogs
27% 41%
24%
20% Posting in forum
20%
18% 16%
0%
2007 2008 2009




4.6. Online Business
The category “Online business” includes the following activities: 1) e-banking, and 2) online
shopping / visiting buy and sell sites / auctions.
Online business is not yet very developed in Vietnam. Only about 40% of internet users in
Vietnam have ever visited an online shopping or auction site, and very few have ever used
e-banking.
Online shopping is more frequent in the north (Hanoi and Hai Phong) and most popular with
the age groups 15-35. Both online shopping and e-banking increases with higher socio-
economic class.

Fig. 26. Online business: usage frequency
Total
Shoppingvisting buy and sell
5% 15% 8% 10%
sitesAuctions 38%

E-Banking 10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%



Online business is one of the areas that has seen the strongest increase of all measured
activities in the last few years. Online shopping has increased by 12 percentage points and
reached 40% in HCMC / Hanoi. Also e-banking has become more popular in this time period
with an increase from 7 to 11%.

Fig. 27. Online business: development 2007-2009
100%

80%
Online
60% shopping
40%
40% 34%
28%
E-banking
20% 11%
7% 7%

0%
2007 2008 2009




5. VISITED WEBSITES

5.1. Websites visited in past 4 weeks
This chapter highlights the websites that survey respondents have recently used. Data refers
to the time period Oct-Nov 2009. 5
Google is the most widely used website in Vietnam. Nearly half of internet users have used
google in the past month. Google is the most often used website across gender, age groups,
socio-economic class and geographical regions.
Zing shows the second largest penetration. One in four internet users in Vietnam have used
one of the various Zing websites in the past month. Among the different services Zing offers
(movies, music, games, news, chat etc), mp3.zing.vn is the most popular.
About one in four internet users has recently used Yahoo. Included in this figure are
yahoo.com, yahoo.com.vn, Yahoo messenger and Yahoo mail.
Vietnamese online newspapers follow as the next popular websites. Dan Tri (dantri.com.vn)
has been visited by nearly 20%, and nearly 50% of internet users in Hanoi. VnExpress
(vnexpress.net) and Tuoi Tre (tuoitre.com.vn) both have been used by 16-17%. Users of
VnExpress are concentrated in Metro Vietnam (Hanoi / HCMC), and Tuoi Tre users are
primarily located in the South. 24h (24h.com.vn) and Thanh Nien Online (thanhnien.com.vn)
rank 8 and 9 with about 10% penetration to each.
The following ranks consist of a mix of online music (nhaccuatui.com, nhac.vui.vn,
nhacso.vn), websites targeted to the youth (ngoisao.net, kenh14.vn), social networks,
gaming sites etc.

5
Results in this chapter refer to the penetration of websites in the overall population of internet users
in Vietnam. Penetration is measured with the % of internet users who have used specific websites in
the past 4 weeks. Penetration doesn’t take into consideration the frequency of visit, length of visit, or
number of clicks. Therefore, numbers reported in this chapter might differ from results reported by
analytical website measurement tools, where website performance is usually measured with ‘page
views’, ‘unique visitors’, ‘unique visits’ or similar metrics.



Fig. 28. Websites visited in past 4 weeks 6

Googlea 46%
b
Zing 26%
Yahooc 23%
Dantri.com.vn 19%
VnExpress.net 17%
Tuoitre.com.vn 16%
Nhaccuatui.com 11%
24h.com.vn 11%
Thanhnien.com.vn 9%
Facebook 8%
Ngoisao.net 6%
Vietnamnet.vn 6%
Kenh14.vn 5%
Nhac.vui.vn 5%
Nhacso.net 3%
Youtube.com 3%
Trochoiviet.com 1%
Bongda.com 1%
Congan.com.vn 1%
Mobifone.com.vn 1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

a) incl. google.com, google.com.vn
b) incl. mp3.zing.vn, zing.vn, me.zing.vn , kiemthe.zing.vn, movie.zing.vn, news.zing.vn, volam.zing.vn
c) incl. yahoo.com, yahoo.com.vn, yahoo messenger, mail.yahoo.com, yahoo 360plus

Overall more than 2000 different websites were captured. To give a better overview,
websites were classified based on their main content and aggregated.
Half of the websites accessed in the past 4 weeks were either online newspapers or music /
entertainment sites. Other popular website groups are social networks, games, shopping
and movies.

6
Time period Oct-Nov 2009



Fig. 29. Websites visited in past 4 weeks (classified)

3% Online Newspaper
4% 10%
Music/ Entertaiment
28%
5% Searching

7% Social Network
Game

20% 23% Shopping
Movies
Others


There is strong differences in website usage by age group. In general, younger people tend
to use more websites than older people; therefore penetration is usually higher amongst
young people.
Among the age group 15-24, Google and Zing are the two top sites, with penetration above
40%. Internet users aged 25-34 are predominantly focused on online newspapers, and
usage of the major music and entertainment sites drops considerably. Internet users 35+ are
solely focused on online newspapers and use entertainment sites to a very small extent.

Fig. 30. Websites visited in past 4 weeks by age group

Website Total 15-24 25-34 35-49 50-64
a
Google 46% 53% 45% 39% 34%
Zingb 26% 44% 18% 9% 5%
c
Yahoo 23% 25% 25% 18% 14%
Dantri 19% 15% 24% 20% 20%
VnExpress.net 17% 11% 26% 14% 8%
Tuoitre.com.vn 16% 10% 19% 20% 34%
Nhaccuatui.com 11% 17% 9% 4% 4%
24h.com.vn 11% 11% 13% 9% 5%
Thanhnien.com.vn 9% 4% 11% 12% 21%
Facebook 8% 13% 7% 1% 0%

The usage of online newspapers differ by geographical region. Dantri and Vietnamnet are
mainly used in Hanoi, while penetration of Tuoitre and Thanh Nien is high in HCMC.



Fig. 31. Websites visited in past 4 weeks by city

Website Total HCMC Hanoi Other
a
Google 46% 48% 36% 51%
Zingb 26% 28% 18% 27%
c
Yahoo 23% 27% 15% 21%
Dantri 19% 9% 46% 21%
VnExpress.net 17% 18% 23% 9%
Tuoitre.com.vn 16% 23% 2% 14%
Nhaccuatui.com 11% 13% 7% 8%
24h.com.vn 11% 10% 12% 13%
Thanhnien.com.vn 9% 10% 1% 12%
Facebook 8% 9% 11% 4%

5.2. Websites used for blogging and social networking
At the time the survey was conducted (Oct / Nov 2009), facebook was the most popular
social networking website. Nearly 50% of those who use social networks had a membership
on facebook. The newly introduced Yahoo 360 Plus was used by about 10%. Other popular
social networks are Zing, truongton.net and HI5. 7

Fig. 32. Websites used for Social Networks

Facebook 47%

Yahoo 360 Plus 11%

Zing 6%

Truongton.net 3%

Hi5 2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Source: Cimigo NetCitizens (percentages based on users who are a member of a social networks)

7
Social networks are defined as websites where you can create your own profile, invite friends and
communicate with other website members



Yahoo 360plus, the successor of Yahoo 360, was the most important blog website at the
time of the survey. More than 50% used Yahoo 360plus to write their blog. Facebook was
used for blogging by about 30%. None of the other websites had a share above 2%. 8

Fig. 33. Websites used for blogs

Yahoo 360 Plus 53%

Facebook 31%

My.opera.com 2%

Zing 1%

Multiply.com 1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Source: Cimigo NetCitizens (percentages based on users who have their own blog)

5.3. Most favourite websites
Respondents specified their preferred website for individual activities. Activities are grouped
the into the following categories:
• Information gathering
• Online entertainment
• Online communication
• Online business

5.3.1. Information gathering
Google is the unchallenged favourite in Vietnam for any form of internet search or research.
80% use google as their preferred search site, and nearly 50% prefer it for school / office
research.
Preference for online newspapers is more varied. Overall, the favourability of Tuoitre,
Vnexpress and Dantri is on a similar level. However, there are large differences by region.
Tuoi Tre is the preferred news site in HCMC (32%), but in Hanoi very few would agree to
this. On the other hand, Dantri is favoured in Hanoi, but not really preferred in HCMC.
VNExpress is favoured amongst the two big cities, but less in smaller cities.

8
A Blog is defined as a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general
public consumption



Fig. 34. Favourite websites for information gathering

Search News
Google 81% Tuoitre.com.vn 17%
Yahoo 1% Vnexpress.net 17%
Dantri.com.vn 16%

Research (school /office) Job search
Google 45% Google 19%
Vnexpress.net 2% Vietnamworks 18%
Dantri.com.vn 1% 24h.com.vn 6%
Source: Cimigo NetCitizens (percentages based on users of each activity)

5.3.2. Online entertainment
Online entertainment in Vietnam is clearly dominated by Zing. Zing is the most preferred
website for nearly all kinds of online entertainment, such as watching movies, listening to
and downloading music, gaming etc.
Besides Zing, there are some other favourite websites in specific areas. Youtube and
Xuongphim are popular for movies. Nhaccuatui, Nhacso and Nhacvui are preferred for
online music. For web gaming, Trochoiviet and Facebook are favoured by about 10%.

Fig. 35. Favourite websites for online entertainment

Watching movies Downloading movies Listening to music
Zing 11% Zing 12% Zing 38%
Youtube 7% Youtube 4% Nhaccuatui 21%
Xuongphim 5% Xuongphim.com 4% Nhacso.net 11%

Downloading music Web gaming Application gaming
Zing 45% Zing 18% Kiemthe.zing.vn 10%
Nhaccuatui 23% Trochoiviet.com 10% Volam.zing.vn 9%
Nhac.vui.vn 9% Facebook 9% Audition 5%

5.3.3. Online communication
Yahoo is the most preferred provider of all forms of online communication. The majority
would name Yahoo as their favourite provider for e-mail, instant message, chatting and
sending SMS. Yahoo’s popularity is slightly lower in Hanoi than in HCMC.
Next to Yahoo, a minority prefer Google for e-mail (gmail) and instant message. Mobifone is
the preferred provider to send SMS and instant messages for 5-10%.



Fig. 36. Favourite websites for online communication

E-mail Instant message
Yahoo 67% Yahoo 64%
Gmail 16% Mobifone 6%
Facebook 1% Google 4%

Chatting Sending SMS online
Yahoo 87% Yahoo 68%
Zing 1% Mobifone 8%
Facebook 1% Vinaphone 5%

5.3.4. Online business
The most popular online shopping and auction sites are 5giay.vn, raovat.com and
123mua.com.vn. However, preferences strongly differ by region. In Hanoi, the most
preferred sites are enbac.com and muare.vn, while these sites are not frequently used in the
South. In contrast, 5giay and 123mua are used infrequently in the North.
Preferred providers of e-banking are Vietcombank, DongA bank and ACB.

Fig. 37. Favourite websites for online business

Online shopping E-banking
5giay.vn 13% Vietcombank.com.vn 22%
Raovat.com 10% Dongabank.com.vn 10%
123mua.com.vn 8% Acb.com.vn 9%





6. INTERNET ATTITUDES
This chapter will investigate the perceptions that users have towards the internet attitudes
are divided into the following areas: social connection, information gathering, trust, reliability,
online buying and online advertising.

6.1. Overview
As shown in chapter 5, information gathering and communication are the most important
activities on the internet. Accordingly, the vast majority of internet users would strongly agree
that ‘the internet is an important source for news and information’, and that ‘the internet
helps to connect with friends and meet new people’. Only very few people think that the
internet ‘makes them feel more lonely’.
The internet also plays an important role for product selection and buying. Three quarters of
internet users find out about new brands and products on the internet and about half of them
think that they can buy a very wide choice of products online. However, trust in online
payment is still low, as very few people think it is safe to buy products online.

Fig. 38. Overview of internet attitudes

The internet is an important source for news
91%
and information
The internet helps to connect with friends and
80%
meet new people
The internet helps me to find out about new
73%
products and brands
I can buy a very wide choice of products on the
49%
internet agree
I generally trust the information founf on the
42%
internet

I think it is safe to buy products online 14%

In the age of internet, I feel more lonely 13%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%




6.2. Social connection
Establishing and maintaining connection with friends is a key area of the internet in Vietnam
and chats, email, blogs and social networks are widely used. 80% of internet users think ‘the
internet plays an important role in connecting with friends and meeting new people’. Younger
age groups agree to this statement more than older age groups.
The negative side of the growing internet usage is a potential social isolation. This aspect
seems to be marginal in Vietnam, as only 10-15% people think that they feel more lonely in
the age of the internet. The effect of social isolation was higher for older age groups, male
internet users and users from the south. These are also the groups that tend to use less
social activities online, such as blogging, chatting or social networks.

Fig. 39. Attitudes towards social connection

The internet helps to
connect with friends and 80% 12% 8%
meet new people

In the age of internet, I feel
13% 14% 73%
more lonely

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Agree Neutral Disagree


6.3. Information gathering
As shown in chapter 5, using search and news sites are the most common activities on the
internet. Accordingly, most internet users agree that the internet ‘plays an important role as a
source for news and information’. Agreement to this statement is slightly higher among older
age groups and users from higher socio-economic classes.
Most users would agree that the ‘internet is useful to find out about new products and
brands’. Agreement is slightly higher among males and users in the North.

Fig. 40. Attitudes towards information gathering

The internet is an
important source for news 91% 6%3%
and information
The internet helps me to
find out about new 73% 17% 10%
products and brands

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%




6.4. Trust / Reliability
There is a mixed level of trust in the Vietnamese population towards information found on
the internet. About 40% think information on the internet is trustworthy in general, but 20%
wouldn’t agree. In metro Vietnam (mainly HCMC), people are slightly more sceptical towards
the information on the internet. The level of trust increases with age.

Fig. 41. Attitudes towards trust

I generally trust the information
42% 36% 22%
found on the internet

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


Compared to other media channels such as TV and newspaper, the information on the
internet is perceived as less reliable. People would rely more on the information on TV and
in newspapers. Overall, TV is perceived as the most reliable medium.
In Hanoi and HCMC, the internet is rated significantly less reliable than in other cities. In
HCMC, people are also more sceptical towards TV.

Fig. 42. Perceived reliability of different media channels (average 1-10)

TV 7.5

Newspaper 6.8

Internet 6.4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1= totally unreliable totally reliable=10


6.5. Online buying
Buying products on the internet is not very common in Vietnam. As seen in chapter 5, only a
minority of internet users are using shopping and auction sites regularly. Most internet users
would actually agree that they ‘can buy a wide range of products on the internet. However,



only very few think it is ‘safe to buy products online’. 60% do not have trust in online
payment systems.

Fig. 43. Attitudes towards online buying

I can buy a very wide
choice of products on the 49% 21% 31%
internet

I think it is safe to buy
14% 27% 59%
products online

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


6.6. Online advertising
The feelings towards online advertising are mixed. A small group of internet users find online
ads very intrusive and irritating, but some find them quite entertaining. About half of users
have a rather indifferent attitude towards online advertising, either ignoring or not noticing
them at all. 35% sometimes click on an online ad that catches their attention. Young internet
users have a slightly more positive attitude towards online advertising and also tend to click
more on ads that catch their interest.
Interest in online advertising has decreased slightly over the last few years. Also, TV
advertising is rated as slightly more interesting than internet advertising.

Fig. 44. Attitudes towards online advertising

I find some of them quite entertaining 10%
45% interested
I have occasionally clicked on them 35%

I don't really notice them 30%

I totally ignore them 15% 55% not interested

I find them very intrusiveirritating 10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%




CIMIGO COMPANY PROFILE
Cimigo is an independent team of marketing and brand research specialists. Cimigo
employs over 200 research specialists contributing to great brands and their effective
communications.
Founded in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in 2003 Cimigo then expanded across major cities in
Vietnam and beyond. Within 12 months Cimigo opened offices in Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Da
Nang, Can Tho, and Nha Trang. In 2004 Cimigo developed operations in China and India.
Today Cimigo operates across the Asia Pacific region from Japan to Cambodia.
Cimigo provides research based consulting. Cimigo advises four of the top five advertisers in
Vietnam.
Cimigo regularly publishes reports that are publicly available in Vietnam. For example,
Cimigo just released the first report about the advertising market in Vietnam (Vietnam Online
Advertising Report 2009, published in March 2010). To see an overview of the latest studies,
visit www.cimigo.vn.

Contact Information
Cimigo
9 Nguyen Huu Canh Street
Binh Thanh District
HCMC
Vietnam
T: (84 8) 3822 7727 Ext: 320
E: netcitizens@cimigo.com

www.cimigo.vn




Vietnam NetCitizens Report Reveals Rapid Growth of Internet Usage and Key Online Activities

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